Turning Tragedy Into Laws That Save Lives
Since 2024, Mad Moms in Action has helped pass 15 laws supporting SMI in Arizona — with no lobbyists, no corporate backing. Just families who refused to be silent.
Mad Moms in Action is a separate organization from Arizona Mad Moms.
Arizona Mad Moms is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting dignified and effective treatment for all people living with serious mental illness.
Because federal tax law limits the lobbying activities of 501(c)(3) organizations, Mad Moms in Action was established as a separate organization to advocate for legislation and public policies that improve mental health systems, strengthen accountability, and ensure dignified and effective treatment for individuals with serious mental illness.
The legislative updates, advocacy opportunities, and policy positions presented on this page are provided by Mad Moms in Action. These advocacy activities are conducted by Mad Moms in Action and not by Arizona Mad Moms unless specifically stated.
Together, the two organizations pursue the same vision through different means:
- →Arizona Mad Moms educates, informs, and engages the public.
- →Mad Moms in Action advocates for legislative and policy reforms.
The Fight Continues
13 bills in the Arizona Legislature · 7 signed into law
Incompetent non-restorable defendants placement at Arizona State Hospital (ASH)
✅ SIGNED BY GOVERNORSMI treatment in jails and prisons (Work Group)
✅ SIGNED BY GOVERNORAssisted living and long-term care for people with serious mental illness (ALTCS-SMI)
✅ SIGNED BY GOVERNORPatient right to clozapine access
No HearingTraining corrections officers on psychosis and anosognosia
No HearingReduce mandatory acquaintance witnesses
Passed Senate! — No House HearingEliminate police process service in hospitals
✅ SIGNED BY GOVERNORAllow virtual COT hearings
✅ SIGNED BY GOVERNORNew COT release procedures & guardian notice
✅ SIGNED BY GOVERNORContinuing COT renewal after 2 years
Passed Senate! — No House HearingAppropriations for more beds at Arizona State Hospital (ASH)
Passed Senate Health! — Next: Budget ProcessRemove county-based bed limits at Arizona State Hospital (ASH)
Passed Senate & House Health! — Next: Rules & final voteJudicial review of COT with guardian involvement
✅ SIGNED BY GOVERNORBuilding Momentum
3 more victories signed into law
Signed: May 2, 2025
Restricts co-mingling of non-competent/non-restorable (NCNR) defendants with civil commitment patients in secure behavioral health residential facilities (SBHRF). This vital legislation resolved a technicality in Arizona statute necessary for opening desperately needed secure facilities.
Signed: May 13, 2025
Stops counting jail days toward inpatient hospital treatment limits when administering Court-Ordered Treatment (COT). This closes an important gap during the critical time when SMI loved ones are discharging from jail and need hospitalization.
Signed: June 27, 2025 (Budget)
Originally seeking $25M for secure residential facilities (SBHRFs), this bill resulted in an important $5M appropriation in the state budget to assist with opening new secure facilities.
Where It All Began
4 major Arizona laws passed in our founding year
In our very first year, Mad Moms in Action helped pass four major mental illness laws in Arizona — including HB 2744 (John's Law). These victories proved that grassroots family advocacy, without lobbyists or corporate backing, could change the system.
4 Laws Signed by the Governor
Including HB 2744 — John's Law
Our First Victory
John's Law (HB 2744)
Named after John Fox — Crystal's late husband who was killed by their son Joshua during a schizophrenic episode — John's Law was the first major legislative victory for Mad Moms in Action.
Joshua Fox was not a murderer. He was a young man with untreated schizophrenia — abandoned by a system that failed him at every step. He later died by suicide in prison. His story is the reason Arizona Mad Moms exists.
John's Law strengthens protections for families dealing with violent episodes related to untreated serious mental illness and was signed into law in 2024 as part of Mad Moms' inaugural legislative session.
What John's Law Does
- →Strengthens family notification rights during psychiatric crises
- →Improves information sharing between law enforcement and behavioral health
- →Creates clearer protocols for repeat psychiatric emergency calls
- →Honors the memory of John Fox and thousands like him
The Bigger Picture
John's Law is the first of many. The legal and justice reform work continues. Every bill is named for a real person. Every fight is personal.
Disclaimer: Mad Moms in Action and Arizona Mad Moms are separate legal organizations. Advocacy and lobbying activities described on this page are conducted by Mad Moms in Action.
Laws Don't Pass Without Voices
Every phone call to a legislator, every testimony at a committee hearing, every family that shows up at the Capitol moves the needle.